We research, because we observe

It is a popular saying that time is money. Yes, the saying holds special significance for the busy city dweller who hardly has any “time” to spend for his or her loved ones, friends and peers. The same “time” has upgraded itself to be considered as a rare commodity and can no doubt be considered a luxury today.

With auspicious festive season expected to start in India soon, there are various gifting options available for you. But, as a tech enthusiast myself and a money saving psychologist, I would recommend gifting Amazon email gift cards to your family and friends.

Nearly 2 million deaths are reported each year globally as a result of sedentary lifestyle attributed to lack of any physical activity (Odunaiya, Ayodele, & Oguntibeju, 2010). It is not uncommon to see young students shun outdoor activities for video games, homework and other indoor cravings. The result being their deteriorating physical health and lower mental strength. When differentiating between physical outdoor activities and exercise, one must understand that exercise can be applied to all sets of physical activities that are structured and regular in nature. This means that while you may be considering playing football as an outdoor activity, it becomes a physical exercise if you are playing football on a daily basis for a set time span. So, it makes more sense for a kid to play outdoor games on a daily basis for a minimum time duration instead of doing it once in a week.

Research by Elmagd (2016) shows that cardiovascular exercise has the power to create new brain cells (i.e. neurogenesis) and enhance overall performance of the brain. According to Elmagd (2016), regular physical exercise increases memory and improves the ability to learn new things. Considering these factors, it may not be surprising to see a higher and better academic performance in students that exercise daily in comparison to those who do not exercise at all. In this regard, research by Bass et al. (2013) establishes a strong relationship between regular physical exercise (such as aerobics and muscular endurance) and higher academic achievement in middle school students.

It is time for action now. If you are a school student reading this, pull your socks and start going outdoor! If you are a parent or an educator reading this, please educate students to participate in physical activities. The days of exercise may be painful, but the benefits are tempting too.

Benefits of daily exercise:

Better body image and boosted self-confidence

Sharper memory and brain power

Better academic performance

Lesser stress and higher mental strength

Prevention of diseases such as heart diseases, obesity, diabetes and stress

Did you take any action, or do you have something to contribute? Please comment! We welcome your suggestions and feedback!

Weeks after Google CEO Sundar Pichai proudly announced the capabilities of Google Assistant – an artificial intelligence product, as a technology enthusiast, I decided to download it from the App Store. It was a pleasant experience overall since the software is highly precise in taking commands with my Indian English accent.

Not belittling the amazing things which the Google Assistant did for me, here is a list of five tasks where the AI essentially failed on my iPhone:

Setting an alarm on iPhone

When I asked Google Assistant to set an alarm on my iPhone (iPhone 7 Plus), it replied upfront: “Sorry, I can’t set alarms on iPhone.”

2. Opening the App Store

Next, I asked the Google Assistant to open the App store for me. The answer was: “Sorry, I don’t know how to open that. But I can open many other apps for you.”

3. Calling Pizza Hut

When I asked Google Assistant to call Pizza Hut, though the software successfully accessed my phone contact list, it halted right before dialing the number, and I was shown the number at the dial list.

4. Calling Anushka and talking to her

Next, I asked Google Assistant to call Anushka and talk to her. To this also, the software replied, “Sorry, I’m not sure how to help. But I’m still learning.”

5. Opening Amazon App on my phone

When I asked Google Assistant to open Amazon app on my phone, the software replied, “Sorry, I don’t know how to open that. But, I can open many other apps for you.” Sadly, the only app which Assistant opened successfully was Youtube on my phone.

Keeping the above limitations aside, I would urge you to still try Google Assistant as it is fun to use this amazing app!

Mobiistar, a Vietnamese smartphone brand is set to enter the Indian market in 2018. The company was founded by Carl Ngo in the year 2009 with the vision to “Enjoy More” with reference to a superior user experience. Mobiistar promises to deliver uncompromised and affordable user experience to Indian customers. The brand has adopted psychographic segmentation to target selfie loving consumers who want to get the maximum from their self-clicked pictures. Mobiistar is headed by Carl Ngo (Global CEO & Cofounder) with its Indian headquarters in Noida (Uttar Pradesh).

Some of the direct competitors for Mobiistar phones include Chinese brands such as Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi. Mobiistar has chosen India as its global headquarters to run operations in other countries. Factors such as India’s rising middle class income, economic growth and favorable political climate have played a crucial role in this decision. Mobiistar has tied up with V-Sun Technologies to locally manufacture handsets. The Haryana based company has already started its trial production with Mobiistar. Mobiistar is expected to launch its first handsets exclusively online in the price range of INR 6,000 – INR 10,000. Mobiistar plans to have 850 service outlets for its mobile phone on the first day of its launch followed by up to 1000 outlets within the next three months.

As a part of its marketing promotions strategy, Mobiistar plans to copy Xiaomi by focusing on social media marketing and digital channels. Starting with the current workforce of 50, the brand is expected to hire 200 employees in the upcoming months.

Consumer Segmentation

Psychographic Segmentation – Selfie Phone Consumers

Product Strategy

Selfie camera phones assembled locally in India

Pricing Strategy

Penetration Pricing INR 6000-INR 10000

Promotions Strategy

Online – Social media and digital

Place (Distribution) Strategy

Online in the initial phase

Whether Mobiistar makes a mark in the Indian smartphone market already flooded with Chinese phone brands, time will tell.

Technology has gifted medical sciences with innovations to provide the best treatment procedures in health care delivery system. Health Information Technology is an effective tool that has helped in augmenting the efficiency and accuracy of health care management systems.

Basic Terminology

Health Information Technology may be defined as the application of information technology (IT) for the efficient management and manipulation of healthcare data and information (Ciampa & Revels, 2012). Computerized systems are used to store patient data electronically which can be shared or retrieved later with the help of an electronic interface (Herrick, Gorman, & Goodman, 2010). A number of tools such as Electronic Medical Records, Patient Health Record, Electronic Dental Record, e- Prescribing and Practice Management Systems are being used in Health IT (What is health IT?).

Personal Health Record is a Health IT electronic application that enables an individual or any other person authorized thereof in collecting, retrieving, sharing or maintaining healthcare information electronically (What is health IT?). With the use of this technology, the geographical location of patient and physician become immaterial (Herrick, Gorman, & Goodman, 2010). The online availability of the diagnostic test reports eliminates the need of unnecessary, redundant diagnostic tests (Herrick, Gorman, & Goodman, 2010). Patients can avail online consultation while giving full access to electronic medical records to their physicians (Herrick, Gorman, & Goodman, 2010). ‘My HealtheVet’ is a typical example of a Health IT online application, provided by the United States Department of Veterans affairs which enable patients to manage their healthcare needs more efficiently (What is health IT?).

Patients are ensured of protection of their privacy by the Health IT system (Herrick, Gorman, & Goodman, 2010). However, their confidential data may be used for research and analysis purpose to benefit the community at large. For e.g. medical records of a patient suffering from a rare disease may be used for future reference.

Challenges with regard to Patient’s Rights

Through the use of online portals, patients can access a wide range of available tools which enable them to schedule appointments, renew prescriptions; and keep track of their medical treatment etc. (What is health IT?). However, there are some privacy and security concerns while storing and transmitting healthcare data electronically (Health Information Technology)

Principle of Beneficence

Principle of Beneficence refers to the duty of health care providers to take appropriate steps that are beneficial to the patient (McCormick & Min, 2013). Being an electronic system, it is likely that some inadvertent errors may creep into the patient’s record (Herrick, Gorman, & Goodman, 2010). Over dependence on the electronic records for diagnosis may lead to false treatment, thereby compromising the potential benefits to the patient by the line of treatment (Herrick, Gorman, & Goodman, 2010).

Principle of Autonomy

Principle of Autonomy implies that the patient can act according to his own will without the controlling influence of others (McCormick & Min, 2013). While allowing online consultations, Health IT must allow decision support tools giving respect to the patient’s autonomy (Herrick, Gorman, & Goodman, 2010).

Principle of Fidelity

Principle of fidelity advocates truthfulness, loyalty, dedication and fairness to the patients (Short Definitions of Ethical Principles and Theories). It basically refers to keeping a promise made and being loyal to the patient (Short Definitions of Ethical Principles and Theories). Health IT system is expected to keep patient’s medical records safe and secure (Herrick, Gorman, & Goodman, 2010). However, the online system is prone to security and privacy threats such as hacking, unauthorized access to patient data, identity theft, etc., which may undermine the trust of enrollees upon the system (Herrick, Gorman, & Goodman, 2010). Patients may feel embarrassed by the disclosure of their medical condition to outsiders (Herrick, Gorman, & Goodman, 2010).

Principle of Justice

Principle of Justice suggests the fair distribution of health care resources among the individuals (McCormick & Min, 2013). However, Health Information technology has not been adopted uniformly by the entire healthcare industry owing to requirements of huge investment in replacing manual systems with electronic ones (Ciampa & Revels, 2012). This has led to Health IT system accessible only to a few people such as veterans in U.S (What is health IT?).

Conclusion

Health information technology has revolutionized the functioning of healthcare delivery systems. The basic role played by Health Information Technology is in maintaining a check on medical errors that were common in manual record books. Healthcare Organizations are gradually adopting Health IT System due to its established benefits to the patients and physicians (Expanding the Reach and Impact of Consumer e-Health Tools, 2006).

Good News for all Freelancers and Bloggers in India. Now, you can use the most trusted Payment app worldwide ‘PayPal’ to receive payment from your customers and clients.

In an unprecedented move, PayPal has become more customer-friendly than ever. Earlier, PayPal was exclusively used to make or receive overseas payment. But now, even Indian bloggers can use the same for their benefits.

Significant PayPal Features for Freelancers in India

#1) FIRC Proof

FIRC (Foreign Inward Remittance Certificate) is an important document that can be used as a valid evidence of all inward remittances and payments received in India and abroad. Indian authorities accept it as a valid proof that an individual or company or a partnership firm and others, has received money in hard currency other than INR from outside India.

When a freelancer receives payments from overseas clients, FIRC is a mandatory document in such circumstances. PayPal facilitates easy “SIGN UP” process through which you can directly register yourself to it. Simply send an email request and some other necessary details to PayPal to get started. FIRC is your one-step towards receiving hassle-free payment from your client straight into your bank account via NEFT.

For all FIRC account holders, PayPal has announced 50% discount on its one-time membership fee. Also, you don’t need to register yourself again and again, simply register yourself at the site once and avail all the benefits at one go.

#2) Get Paid Instantly

Once your work is approved then you can easily receive the payment from PayPal. Sign up at PayPal to grab more benefits and services. Share your Paypal.me link to get payment directly into your account through electronic processing.

You can opt for PayPal invoicing for more effective fund transfer. Create custom invoice in no time using PayPal app, and schedule it to time when you wish to send the same to your client. It’s fully safe, secure and cent per cent fraud protected process.

#3) Email Payments

Now the process of receiving payment has become easier and more flawless than before. Receive your payment swifter using email payment. You just need your client’s email id to send a payment request, and receive the same in Indian INR once your client approves the payment.

#4) PayPal.me Link

Using a single PayPal.Me id, you can now join this group and get payment for your work from any part of the globe. You can grab numerous projects with the confidence of paypal personalized links. Also, you can make payment to people worldwide directly from your PayPal id. An estimate says that PayPal has around a few million customers in India alone.

PayPal is now operating in more than 200 nations at its full swings. In fact, it is one of the most widely used apps by freelancers worldwide. It got a turnover of around 8 billion in 2017. The future trajectory of PayPal is in its upward curve, and is likely to get higher turnover in India in the next few days.

The research on health diet for brain has only intensified more over the last few years worldwide. Now, scientists are finding a possible link between the food we consume and that of a human brain. Regular consumption of nutritious food reduces chances of Alzheimer’s disease by 50 percent.

As per nomenclature, what we eat for a healthy brain is called MIND. It’s actually an abbreviation for Mediterranean Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay. The research studies pointed out that vegetables, fruits, wholegrain, nuts and protein are good for human brains. Such substances are good for controlling blood pressure as well.

Leafy green vegetables, wholegrain, a glass of wine and around 8-liters of water form the core of a healthy diet for a human brain on daily basis. Also, doctors advice that we should also consume nuts, beans and poultry products 3-4 times a week to maintain an optimum level of vitamins and proteins inside our bodies. Strawberries and Blueberries are also good for mind.

Neurologists and nutritionists also advice that we should regularly eat protein-rich fruits like apples, pomegranates and grapes to make sure that our mind stay calm, cool and healthy. Having said so, it is also important to curb meat consumption to once a month or less. Similarly, Fried food, Pastries and butter should be avoided too.

According to Ayurveda, milk decoctions with ashwagandha, dates, gourds, garlic, moong dal and cow’s milk can be also take twice or thrice a week for better functioning of our brains irrespective of age factor. Usually, we are over cautious about our heart health and hardly care for brain. It shouldn’t be done. We need to focus equally on heart and brain concurrently. For smoother and healthier function of brain, the quantity of antioxidants and omega – 3 fatty acids needs to be increased subsequently depending upon one’s overall health.

A plate of salad a day and eggs are a good combination for an overall good health. Also, our intake of sufficient quantity of fresh fruits should form a part of our everyday diet irrespective of weather and place. The basic mantra for a healthy brain is simple; stay active, reduce your stress levels, talk to people more and take adequate sleep of at least 8 hours a day to stay protected from diseases while keeping your brain active and fit.

Some other highly protein enriched foods in the form of Avocado, Beets, Broccoli and walnuts could be wonderful for a fully active and stimulant brain. As we age, we need to ensure the proper functioning of our brains too. In order to get a healthier brain, we have to consume a milieu of substances on regular basis to ensure that brain cells remain active and fine. Vitamin A, K, C, Folate, Fiber and antioxidants are some necessary ingredients that keep human brain free from all diseases.

Image source: lh3 ggpht

Alzheimer’s, dementia, forgetfulness and irritability are some of the common diseases that often affect human brain above the age of 45. To defy age-related diseases inside in brain, it becomes essential that we take all necessary foods including fresh vegetables and fruits on time and lead a stress free life. Regular practice of yoga is also good for mental peace and calmness.